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Elena Filimonova, who joined CGS in 2014, leads CGS’s global marketing organization. She is responsible for all activities related to conceptualizing and implementing go-to-market strategy and achieving marketing targets on corporate and divisional levels. Since joining CGS, she has reorganized the marketing team to support multi-product and multi-divisional nature of the business, launched a rebrand of the company to streamline its diverse offerings, revamped digital marketing strategy and established a marketing automation function to streamline the lead-to-pipeline process and measure the results of integrated marketing campaigns.

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As the world of marketing changes, leaders need to focus on what the future holds. Elena Filimonova, SVP, Global Marketing and Strategy at CGS, shares her thoughts on what the marketing landscape will look like in 2019.

The past few years have brought rapid changes for marketers. Technology advancements are allowing for deeper customer insights and more targeted marketing campaigns. In fact,

the marketing technology landscape grew 27 percent in the last year alone. Companies are realizing how valuable marketing is to their bottom line and investing in technology and people to make this department a success.

In 2019, marketing will continue to play an important role in all aspects of the company, from recruitment to drive bottom-line growth. To be successful, marketers need to stay focused on what matters most to their organizations and ensure their KPIs are aligned with the overall company goals.

And, while the marketing landscape will continue to evolve, there are some trends that will be important to watch in 2019.

B2B Marketers Won’t Have to Fight to Prove Their Worth

In the past, B2B marketing was often viewed as a supportive department, but not necessarily revenue generating. The marketing team provided support for the organization’s overall goals but wasn’t credited with having a direct impact on the company’s bottom line. Thankfully, this is no longer the case. The marketing function dictates and shapes corporate strategy and brand perception. Companies have realized the need to align around their brand, and marketing is seen as the driver of this success story. Brands are already investing more money in their marketing teams and marketing technology to fuel this strategy.

Investment in Employee Messaging Will Be Paramount for Competitive Differentiation

In an increasingly omnichannel world, customers are interacting with brands more often and across multiple platforms. In many cases, especially when it comes to B2B technology companies, the employees know the product and industry inside and out. They can speak the same language as the customers and talk to them as peers. By investing in your employees and educating them on company messaging, they can organically “market” the company through their own networks. But it isn’t just about messaging education – employees must be satisfied and excited about their work for them to be true brand advocates. According to Forbes, companies with highly engaged employees outperform their competitors by 147 percent. Investment in employee happiness and messaging will drive true success in 2019.

More vendors and applications will share social media data with their audiences, helping to create a seamless cross-channel experience. This will help companies fully understand their audience, allowing smaller companies to provide better services. That said, 2018 put a spotlight on Facebook and the other social media titans. There will be laser-focus scrutiny on companies to deliver strict policies and procedures around how consumer data is used. Brands that prioritize transparency, security, compliance and communication will be the ones that truly succeed in social media marketing.

If you’ve ever seen a kid opening presents at Christmas, then you understand what it’s like for marketers who see new technology. We are both data-driven and creative, and the idea of technology advancing these capabilities truly excites us. However, the use of traditional marketing strategies such as individual gifts and handwritten letters will become more common as marketers look to connect with their customers on a deeper, more personal level. Marketers must still invest in next-gen solutions to help with customer interactions at scale and account-based marketing (ABM) programs. A willingness to accept both old and new marketing strategies will drive success in 2019.

There are many uncertainties in the 2019 marketing landscape. Yet, with the right technology, people and processes, marketers can have a lasting effect on the business world as we approach 2020.

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